From the Director
We wrapped up 2006 on a great note. It was a very busy year for the staff at Enterprise California. We lent more than ever, invested in more tax credit deals, expanded our special initiatives with supportive housing, resident services and Green Communities, building hundreds of units of homeownership housing under the LA town home ordinance and delivered more technical assistance and grants than ever before. In 2006 we trained over 2,200 people involved in affordable housing development and helped our partners build thousands of units of affordable housing. For those of you that made it to the Enterprise Network Conference in Hollywood you experienced one of the best conferences ever. We had more than 30 training sessions, outstanding speakers and our own Edward Norton (actor and grandson of Enterprise founder, Jim Rouse) welcomed LA Mayor Villaraigosa on the closing day of the conference.
Special thanks to David Bley, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for stepping in as Interim California Director for the last few months of 2006. We should have exciting news for you in the next few weeks about new leadership for Enterprise California. And finally, thanks to all of you - our partners - for all your amazing work to create more affordable housing opportunities for individuals and families all over our region. I look forward to a prosperous 2007.
2006 Network Conference in LA a Success
Enterprise's Bart Harvey, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Actor/Enterprise Trustee Edward Norton come together for affordable housing.
The conference also provided a chance for the Enterprise Los Angeles to highlight some of the great work we have been doing in the communities around us. Six different tours showcased areas that extended from East Los Angeles all the way to Santa Monica and were said by many to be one of the best highlights from the conference. Other highlights included a fun evening at Universal Studios, the uplifting story of Chris Gardner at our kick-off lunch, and a speech by Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Friday’s final breakfast.
The Network Conference, after much preparation and planning, ended up being a great success and Enterprise Los Angeles would like to thank everyone involved and everybody who attended this wonderful event. For those planning ahead, the 2007 Enterprise Network Conference will be taking place in Cleveland and we look forward to an equally successful conference from our friends in Ohio!Continued Success with BP Solar Neighbors Program
Edward Norton and his BP Solar Neighbors.
The BP Solar Neighbors Program was the brainchild of the famous actor/director and Enterprise Trustee Edward Norton who conceived the program while looking at solar solutions for his own home. His idea was to raise awareness for the possibilities of solar energy and help provide opportunities for low-income families to save money on their energy bills through the power of the sun. Partnering with BP Solar, the industry leader in solar energy systems, Edward helped convince other celebrities to join the bandwagon and the program materialized.
The program has been a great success and continues to grow. In recent months five different celebrities have purchased systems and seven units have been installed on low-income family homes. Several other Enterprise families have expressed interest in the program and we hope to have further celebrity participation that will allow us to provide cost-saving, environmentally friendly BP solar systems for their homes. For more information on the BP Solar Neighbors program, please visit: http://www.solarneighbors.com/Doris Koo, New CEO of Enterprise Community Partners
Doris Koo, Enterprise's new CEO
“The Enterprise Community Partners Trustees completed a comprehensive nationwide search for the strongest candidate to lead the next stage of the organization’s growth and innovation,” said Enterprise Community Partners chairman, CEO and president Bart Harvey. “Doris is the unanimous first choice of the board based on her professional accomplishments and personal commitment to the highest ideas of Enterprise.”
Koo is a nationally respected leader with nearly 30 years experience in affordable housing and community development. She began her career as a community organizer and has been a highly successful developer, public agency administrator and nonprofit executive.
“Jim Rouse was an inspiration to me and Bart Harvey has been a mentor. I am humbled and energized to take their vision and Enterprise’s mission to the next level in partnership with our community-based network, funders, investors and policymakers committed to affordable homes and better opportunities for low-income people,” Koo said.
Koo is currently Executive Vice President at Enterprise Community Partners. In this capacity she oversees Enterprise’s Gulf Coast rebuilding initiative and activities in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
Prior to joining Enterprise in 2001, Koo was Deputy Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority. She oversaw municipal bond financing and all internal management and operations and led the agency’ groundbreaking HOPE VI redevelopment efforts. In addition, Koo was a community leader in New York City and founding Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality, which became under her leadership the largest owner and developer of low-income housing in New York City’s Chinatown and Lower Eastside.
Koo is a member of the City of Seattle Housing Levy Oversight Committee, the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Commission on Climate Protection, and the National Community Council, Washington Mutual Bank. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. Koo is married and has two children.Oxford Plaza
Oxford Plaza
Oxford Plaza is a new construction development that will create 97 apartments available to low income individuals and families and is within walking distance to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), UC Berkeley, public schools, the library, YMCA, retail stores, restaurants, and more. Resources for Community Development (RCD), a regional non-profit housing developer, is the owner and developer of the project and has a 20 year history of working to create more affordable housing and currently has over 1,000 housing unites completed or in construction, with another 600 units in the pipeline. Enterprise is excited to be investing in the project which should be completed in the spring of 2008 and provide a great home for many low-income families.
The units at Oxford Plaza will target extremely low-income households at 20%-30% AMI, with other units targeting households earning up to 60% AMI. With a range of units from studios to three-bedroom units, the building will be able to accommodate a variety of household types. Nine units will also be specifically set aside to provide housing for very low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS and services programming will help support the ability of these residents to live independently, maximizing their self-sufficiency and case management will be provided through a partnership with Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS). EnterpriseHelping Our Partners Grow
Enterprise California prides itself with the work it does together with our many development partners across the state. Mary Erickson Community Housing Corporation (MECH) is a second generation CDC that serves the South Orange County community and has been doing great work since 1991. Mary Erickson has recently received a grant from Enterprise that will help build their capacity and continue to grow. The funds from the grant will enable Mary Erickson to take on additional staff and hire a consultant to assist with additional grant writing and development. The funds will also allow the organization to purchase computer and software equipment that will help increase their capacity.
Perhaps the most exciting result of the newly obtained funds, is the assistance they will provide MECH in developing and expanding their Employer Assisted Housing Program. Mary Erickson Community Housing currently manages an Employer Assisted Housing Program for the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA. Since 2002, over $800,000 in housing subsidy assistance has been distributed to low and very low income employees of the resort and at the present time, there are 80 participants in the program. In conjunction with the subsidy assistance, MECH hosts monthly Life Skills Education programs for the employees in the program. With the help from the funds in this grant, MECH hopes to formalize the program, develop a business plan, and expand the program to offer it to other major employers in the area.New Training and Technical Assistance Approaches in Northern California
Enterprise has long worked with different Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) and Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) in our common goal to create more affordable housing for low and moderate-income individuals and families. In order to continue to find more solutions and better serve our partners, Enterprise Community Partners is excited to announce a new approach to delivering quality training and technical assistance in the western region which includes:
1. Expanded Expertise
To expand our training and technical assistance efforts, Enterprise has
added new staff, provided extensive training to existing staff and
can access the expertise of national staff and highly skilled local
and national consultants in the following areas:
- HOME Program
-
Homeownership Programs
- CHDO Operations, Requirements and Best
- Owner-Occupied
Rehab Practices
-
Green Building
- Supportive
Housing Programs (SHP)
- Property and Asset
Management
- Housing Development – Multi-Family
-
Resident Services
-
Rental
and Ownership Housing
2. Leveraging Resources
Nationally, Enterprise has embraced a new approach to working with our
partners. We look at the broader needs of our partners and make
a variety of resources available, such as: pre-development and acquisition
loans; tax credit equity; and the grants and technical assistance associated
with our local, regional and national initiatives.
3. Focus on Production
Enterprise recognizes that the ultimate goal is to produce more affordable
housing. The primary goal of our training and technical assistance
is to expand production capacity. We will help PJs and CHDOs
to develop new systems, introduce and adopt best practices and identify
effective strategies to leverage HOME funds with other available funding.
Jamboree Housing
Laurel Crest
Jamboree Housing Corporation is a nonprofit housing development organization that was founded in 1990 to help build, preserve, and maintain affordable rental and ownership housing for lower-income families, seniors, and others in the Orange County region. Today, the organization has seen development or acquisition of more than 3,000 rental and for-sale housing units and has expanded its work as far north as Sacramento.
Laurel Crest is one of Jamboree’s latest successes and will be completed and leased up at the beginning of the year. The Laurel Crest project will target families between 40% and 60% AMI and is especially interesting because of its use of green building techniques and an emphasis on sustainability. Jamboree has incorporated solar panels, resource efficient flooring, Energy Star appliances, and other environmentally friendly features. Enterprise has committed $50,000 through our Green Initiatives program in recognition of the project’s steps to go green, in addition to other equity investment provided for the project. Laurel Crest is located within walking distance to public transit in the form of nine bus lines and a MetroLink Station, meaning its residents will have easy access to transportation and lead to fewer cars on the road.
Monarche Pointe Apartments
New Partner and New Success for ESIC
Enterprise Social Community Investment welcomed a new partnership when they invested in the first permanent housing facility being built by Prototypes, a very successful non-profit service provider located in Southern California. Prototypes is one of the nation’s leading multi-service agencies that has programs and centers throughout Southern California that help families deal with problems such as substance abuse, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, domestic violence, and other issues. The organization, which is in its 20th year of service, has offered different forms of residential services and temporary housing previously, but this project will represent Prototypes first dive into the permanent housing arena.
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Family Living Center is the name of this brand new property which recently celebrated its grand opening on September 26th. The development, which will provide affordable housing for families with special needs, consists of 32 units which include four one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and 12 three bedroom units. The facility is conveniently located on the organization’s Pomona campus where there already exists Prototypes’ largest service center. As such, the new housing development has all the supportive services support it needs right where it needs it. The apartments are located close to public transportation, grocery store, recreational facilities, and other amenities which will be useful for the property’s new residents.Successful Resident Services Training
Enterprise's Resident Services Manual
USC Housing Study Underway
Since 1880, the University of Southern California has been one of the oldest centers of learning on the west coast and has become a large member of the Los Angeles community. Traditionally thought of as a “commuter school,” the University has seen its student population change and grow to over 32,000 students who have developed a greater interest in living near campus and participating in the campus life found at “residential colleges.”
Located near Downtown Los Angeles, in and around the famous West Adams district, the university is in the middle of developing its master plan and an important part of that process is to look at the housing situation of its students and the needs of the community around the university. Enterprise Los Angeles has been tasked with working to help the university and the surrounding community get a better picture of the housing reality in the community and helping to plan the future growth and partnership between USC and its neighbors.
On November 9th, Enterprise and University officials met with the 40-member steering committee to present the goals of the study and deliver initial data gathered by the Enterprise team. The meeting provided a great chance to hear from many different voices that offered important input and helped give direction for how the study should proceed. The study is planned to take ten months, after which time, Enterprise hopes to present results that will be of use to both USC and the greater community in developing a lasting partnership for years to come.Department: Technical Assistance and Training
Position: Program Director
This position is a key contributor to increasing the capacity of localities, non-profit housing developers and community development corporations throughout the region by independently and proactively assessing training and technical assistance needs, designing client-specific plans, and delivering assistance and training. Also coordinates assistance and training programs with the lending, grant-making, and equity investment programs of Enterprise and subsidiaries.
Department: Technical Assistance and Training
Position: Senior Director
This position will manage the training and technical assistance programs for Enterprise Los Angeles; deliver technical assistance and training programs which include assessing client needs, designing client-specific plans, and delivering assistance and training to localities, non-profit housing developers and community development corporations throughout the region; coordinate the assistance and training programs with the lending, grant-making, and equity investment programs of Enterprise; and raise funds to support the technical assistance and training programs.
Department: Investments
Position: Development Officer